Mumbai: Nearly 3 lakh sugarcane cutting farmers, who are stuck up at various sugar mills across Maharashtra, are pressing for returning back to their hometowns or villages despite extension in lockdown up to May 3.
The issue came up for discussion at the cabinet committee chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday morning. The committee member and Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Chhagan Bhujbal told FPJ,’’
The workers are quite eager to go back to their homes but unable to do so due curbs on movement in the lockdown. The committee reviewed the situation at length as until April 20 their movement will not be possible due to strict implementation of lockdown announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The committee discussed multiple options on how these sugarcane cutting labourers can be shifted to their hometowns.’’ Bhujbal admitted that the district borders have been closed due to lockdown and the movement of essential and non-essential goods is currently allowed as per the central government directive. ‘’
After April 20, the government will assess whether the partial relaxation can be granted,’’ he said. The crushing season in the state will soon end as most of the sugar mills have already closed down due to financial stress and also for want of sugarcane. The sugarcane cutting farmers with their families have left with no work and they are being looked after by the sugar mills.
Minister of Social Justice Dhananjay Munde informed that some sugar mills have arranged accommodation, food and other requirements while other mills have released the cane-cutters. Those who want to return to their villages have been stopped at their district borders and asked to go on quarantine. He has dispatched a letter to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
He has demanded that the State government should help cane-cutters return to their villages. The livestock with the cane-cutters are also struggling to survive because of fodder scarcity, he added. Already in Beed and Kolhapur districts the administration has set up quarantine centres for sugarcane cutting farmers returning back to their homes.
